Thanks to our newest partner, the Sanford Lions Club, almost 70 new programs for the Lee County Fair are now available on DigitalNC’s website!

The Sanford Lions Club began sponsoring the Lee County Agricultural Fair in 1938. Organized and chartered three years previously, the Lions were founded to serve the community and promote fellowship. The club contributes to numerous philanthropic efforts, with a particular focus on eye health and supporting individuals with vision problems. The Lions dedicated their time and monetary funds to causes like a glaucoma screening clinic, the N.C. Eye Bank and Eye Wills, the Leader Dog Program for the Blind, and Camp Dogwood, a summer retreat for hard-of-sight individuals. The club used funds raised by the Lee County Fair to not only fund these causes, but also to buy land on Colon Road and create a permanent home for the Lee County Fair.

These new programs highlight the various events, competitions, and prizes featured at the fair. The festivities included activities like cook-offs, a diaper derby, and pageants, including the Miss Lee contest. People could also buy and sell livestock, baked goods, flowers and plants, and poultry. More recent fairs also included amusement park rides and live music.

Make sure to mark your calendars for September 10-14, 2025; this year marks the 86th anniversary of the Lee County Fair!

To learn more about the Sanford Lions Club and its mission, check out their website here.

To see more materials from the Lee County Fair and the Sanford Lions Club, click here.